Car-coupling



N Modem I r 2 Sheath-sheet 1; 8 8 J. M. McMILLAN.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 580,887. Patented Apr. 20, 1897.

INVENTOR I Y. W 77/ WNW? '(No Model.)

' J. M. McMILLAN.

CAR COUPLING.

Patented Apr. '20, 1897.

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' mm! m ijjillll UNITED STATES PAT NT FFICE'.

JAMES MILFORD MCMILLAN, OF GLOSTER, LOUISIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,887, dated April20, 1897.

Application filed August 11, 1896- To alt whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, JAMES MILFORD MOMIL- LAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Gloster, in the parish of De Soto and State ofLouisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Couplings for Cars or other Vehicles, of which the followingis a specification.

The invention relates to automatic couplings for cars or other vehicles.

The constant danger menacing trainmen and the risk of life and limbincident to the employment of manually-operated couplings have becomenoticeably prominent, owing to the many fatal accidents resultingtherefrom. So far as can be learned, such happenings occur during thetime the trainman stands between the cars for the purpose of adjustingor guiding the coupler-pin to insure a proper engagement of the members,and this being so with the old form of device protection against injuryis at least improbable, if not impossible.

It is the object of the present invention to produce a coupler of a formadapted to nor? mally present an auto1natically-operating device bywhich the link of an approaching car will be guided and positivelyengaged upon its entrance into the mouth of the draw-head; and,furthermore, the object is to provide a comparatively simple andinexpensive construction, the members constituting the device beingreadily accessible and capable of removal singly for repairs, (to. A

The invention is illustrated in the accompanyin g drawings, inwhich-Figure 1 is a view in sectional elevation of one embodiment applied.Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, in vertical longitudinal section, of thecoupler detached. Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation thereof; and Fig.4 is a view in cross-section, taken on the lineman of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, A represents the car, a the draw-head supports, and athe truck adjacent to the coupler.

B represents the draw-head, which is chambered at b for the reception ofa helical spring 12 the latter being designed to receive and absorb theblow of collision upon the entrance of the coupler-link, and therebyrelieve the rigid parts from jarring and shocks. This louder-spring isseated in terminal cups Z2 the Serial No. 602,441. No mod L) tionalcontact with an angularly-disposed rod 6 An one end this rod has aturned-down portion b, which projects through a vertical opening I) inthe upper wall of the draw-head and is apertured to admit a spring-pinb', which when in position extends across the opening and serves as afastening. This pin, lying in a chamber or depression B is readilyaccessible for insertion or removal.

0 represents the link-engaging catch or hook, which is approximatelyJ-shaped and pivoted at c in a slot 0 with the hook-like terminalprojecting upward and lying normally in a depression 0 adjacent to themouth of the draw-head. Upon entering, the couplerlink meets theinclined face of the hook or catch and by it is directed upward againstthe rigid top wall of the draw-head, from which point, under the actionof continued pressure,

it tends to advance, whereupon the hook yields against the action of itsspring 0 and becomes depressed sufficiently to permit the link to passbeyond it, when the spring reacts and, forcing the hook or catch upward,traps and secures the link, which is thereby locked in engagement. Afterpassing the hook the link encounters the concaved face of the terminalcup of the buffer-spring, by which its movement is checked, and it isthereby rapidly brought to rest. For the retraction of the hook aplate-spring is employed and secured at its rearward end by a T-headedbolt, which latter, after insertion, is secured by being given aquarter-turn.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description that the load orstrain is borne jointly by the pivotal bolt and shoulder,'formingterminal supports for the link-engaging hook, thus relieving andinsuring the latter to a great extent against fracture; also, that beingsustained between two practically rigid points the load is therebycaused to become self-centering. As a safeguard against uneven strainingthe rear face of the hook is curved in a manner to cause the link topull upward, and thereby more firmly seat the extremity of the hook inthe socket or depression in the draw-head.

D represents a second buffer-spring, which is mounted in the rear ofthat first mentioned and is intended to receive the shock of the blow ofcollision of the draw-heads proper.

It will be understood that in practice the ordinary lever connectionsmay be employed for controlling the hook from either the side or top ofthe car.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

The combination with a car, of a yieldinglymounted draw-head chamberedto form an outward-flaring link-receiving cavity having a lower slottedwall, a pivoted arm and its

